Straightening tool for sheet metal



Oct. 18, 1932. w GARRETT 1,883,684

STRAIGHTENING TOOL FOR SHEET METAL Filed Feb. 10, 1931 Patented Oct. 18, 1932 e STATES WILLIAM GARRETT, or BECKLEY, wEsr VIRGINIA STRAIGHTENTNG TOOL-FOR SHEET Application filed February 10, 1931. Serial No. 514,824.

This invention relates to a straightening tool for sheet metal and one object of the invention is to provide ,a tool which may be used by automobile repair men and will be very effective when used for removing dents and straightening sheet metal drain gutters and other portions of an automobile body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of this character formed of metal It and having its ends so formed that one end may serve as a dolly when. removing dents and its otherend portion serve very efiectively as a prying implement for straightening portions of a gutter which have become bent out of shape.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool which is very simple in its construction and very strong, and further, so constructed that it may be very easily held 29 by a workman.

This improved straightening tool is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wheretool in side elevation,

Figure 2 is a View in elevation taken at right angles to the View in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one end portion of the tool. This improved tool consists of a metal bar which may be formed of iron, or any other metal desired having suflicient strength.

One end portion of the bar is fiat to form a shank 1 which has rounded side edge faces in order that the tool may be easily held and the inner end portion of this shank is tapered as shown in Figure 2 and gradually merges into a stem 2 which is circular in cross section as shown in Figure 3. The fiat end por, tion of the metal bar forming the shank or handle 1 has its outer end bent as shown in Figure 1, thereby forming a dolly 8. This dolly has a bill 4 which extends longitudinally of the handle 1 in ofiset parallel relation tothe handle 1 and is integrally connected with the handle by a neck 5 disposed diagonally of the bill and handle and having its ends curved and merging into the same. The outer end of the bill is bent to form a lip 6 5 Whichextends transversely of the bill and from the stem 2 transversely thereof. This Figure 1 is a view showing the-improved handle in the. direction 0f the plane of the handle,butis shorter than the neck. The

outer faces of the bill and lip merge into each other, thereby forming a rounded surface '7.

At the other end of the tool the free end portion of the shank or stem 2 is bent to form a head 8 which is substantially U-shap-ed and is integrally joined to the stem by its inner arm 9. This arm extends diagonally as clearly shown in Figure 2.- The outer arm 10 .60

of the head has flat faces as clearly shown in liigure 3 and this arm is bent intermediate its length to form a bill 11 which extends transversely oft-he outer arm in a direction away bill has flat side and edge faces and its outer end is cutat an incline as shown at 12, t ereby forming a tapered free endfor the bill which notonly facilitates the insertion of the tool in a gutter but also permits the tapered free end or point of the bill to be readily positioned back of a dent or depression in the gutter so that, when the tool is rocked, said dent or depression will be straightened.

When this improved toolvis in use the bill is 11 may be engaged in a gutter above the door of an automobile with the bill extending longitudinally in the gutter and by rocking the handle, either towards the front or rear of the automobile, inwardly bent portions of the outer wall of the gutter may be straightened. The handle may also be swung downwardly in order to tilt the bill transversely in the gutter and pry its outer wall away from the body portion of the automobile to straighten portions which have been bent. The lip 6 may also beengaged in a gutter with the tool extending upwardly above the top of the automobile and the tool rocked longitudinally of'the automobile either towards the front or rear thereof or when the lip 6 is engaged in the gutter, the tool may be swung outwardly and downwardly to a desired position and the outer face of the gutter struck with a hammer in order to permit dents to be taken out of the gutter. a

i It will thus be seen that the tool may be used either as a dolly when beating out dents in a gutter or asa prying tool for straight bent out of shape. The tool could also be used upon mud-guards in order to remove dents and straighten bent portions and for straightening other sheet metal portions of an automobile. It Will be obvious that its use is not restricted to sheet metal portions of an automobile.

"What is claimed is: I

1. A sheet metal straightening tool comprising a metal b'ar having one end portion forming ashank, the outer end portion of the shank being bent to form a head for prying dents out of sheet metal, the said head being substantially U-shaped and disposed transversely of the shank With its inner arm carried by the shank and its outer arm being of greater length than its inner arm and bent to form a bill extending transversely of the head and having flatsides faces and a sloping end face to form an entering point at the outer end of the bill.

2. A sheet metal straightening tool comprising a metal bar having a flat end portion serving as a handle, the other end portion of the bar being reduced to form a shank substantially circular in cross section and at its inner end merging into the handle, the outer end portion of the shank being bent to form a substantially U-shaped head disposed transversely of the shank With its inner arm integrally united to the shank and the free end portion of its outer arm bent to form an elongated bill projecting transversely of the head and having flat side and edge faces and its outer end face extended at an incline to form an entering point for said bill.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM GARRETT. [11. s.]

Lessee; 

